Thursday, 8 May 2014

How to be supportive in the midst of infertility

As part of an online discussion, a woman recently asked advice columnist Carolyn Hax how to be supportive of a friend undergoing fertility treatments. The woman is questioning how to bring up the topic to her friend and what to say that would show her friend she cares.
Here are some good tips from Carolyn:

The most important thing is that this woman genuinely cares about her friend and has listened well when she opened up.

Keep in mind that this is a very serious topic for the friend, so avoid harsh or seemingly flippant conversation. Treat the topic as you would any other serious health issue.

A good way to bring up the topic is to say something like, “I think a lot about you and wonder how your fertility efforts are going, but I’m not sure how or even whether to ask. Would you like me to check in, or let you bring it up when you’re ready?”